Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)

An FCE is a thorough evaluation including a history (medical, injury, and job description), and functional testing. Functional tests during this evaluation include activities related to material handling, as well as tests related to body mechanics and positioning. The purpose of an FCE is to evaluate the injured worker's functional abilities using standardized tests and to classify the results using standardized terminology. The workers comp team can then use these results to help delineate the appropriate and safe return to work strategy for the worker and employer.